Fruit-pitting machine



Oct. 29, 1929. A. GOTELLI 1,734,010

FRUIT FITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 18, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 (DEDEMDUDUDHUI ICJDI IDI lfiDl IQI I WITNESSES IN V5 N TOR My Aid/bury 60221175,

a By A TTOHNE s Oct. 29, 1929. A. GOTELLI FRUIT FITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 18, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTOHNEYS rammed a. 2e, 1929 UNITED; STATES PATENT OFFICE ANTHONY GOTELIQI, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FRUIT-PITTIN G MACHINE Application filed August 18, 1926. Serial No. 130,045.

tinguishing features and advantages. will clearly appear as the description proceeds. Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, it being understood that the drawings are merely illustrative of one example of theinvention.

Figure 1 .is a plan view of a date-pitting machine embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; showing the centering means and the pit removing means.

in a raised position above the carrier chains and before the operation of pitting a date;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3*---3 of Figure 3.

Figure 4' is a'view similar to Figure 3 but omitting the parts shown at thelower portion of Figure 3, the said Figure 4 showing the parts after the operation of removing the pit from the date a Figure 5 is a detail in longitudinal vertical section, on the line 55 of Figure 1;

- Figure 6 is a transverse vertical section on the line 6-6 of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view showing in plan the plate for preventing the dates from rising with the pit removing means;

Figure 8 is an inverted view of the'centering and pitting means as indicated by the arrows numbered 8 is Figure 5;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing a portion of the date carrying 0 am' Figiire 10 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical section in a plane indicated by the line 10-10 in Figure 1.

In carrying out my invention in accordance with the illustrated example, a suitable frame 10 is provided here shown as supported on legs 11. The said frame supports by posts 13 the table 12, over which passes the working run of.an.endless .chain 15, said chain running about the sprocket pulleys 14. Said chain 15 carries the fruit through the machine and for that purpose includes fruit receiving cups 16 connected by links 17, said cups having openings 116 in the bottom through which the pit is "forced. On table 12 are tracks 18 having longitudinal recesses 19 to afford clearance for links 17. The table 12 includes a top 112 having a hole 20 through which the pits pass. On top of track 18 1s a plate 21 having slots 22, with openings 23 at the center throughwhich the pitting devices operate, as will appear. The letter A indicates a date and a, the date pit. The date is adapted to rest in cups 16 on ledges. or shoulders 216 at the sides. Each cup also has at the ends thereof, at the bottom, slots 24 for clearance for a revolving knife 25 for slitting the fruit at the under slde. Said knife is shown here as a revolving knife supported on the under and thereby revent the action of the knife from liftingt efruit out of the cup 16 when a cup arrives at said knife. For the stated purpose, use-is made, in the illustrated example, of a roller 26. Said roller has atransverse shaft 27 having weights 28, said shaft being free to play in vertical slots 29 in posts 31.

A lower crossbar 31 is provided and an upper crossbar 32. Crossbar 31 has a block 131 to which is securedpit centering pins 33in two rows adapted to take. positions at opposite sides of the center of the date. -For example, on the under side of crossbar 32 is a block 132 to which is secured by set screws 34 vertical plane of spindles 35 are elements 36 spaced to present a slot 136 therebetween to detach the pits a as hereinafter described. The elements 36, which are mounted to revolve as will appear, coact with the uptu-rned terminal on an arm 37 held fixed to block 38 on hangers 138, depending from table member 112.

The belt 41 is driven by a suitable motor 4O and runs over a pulley 42 on the shaft 43 on which is a pinion 44 meshing with gear wheel 45 on a shaft 46, said gear wheel 45 in turn meshing with a gear.47 on a shaft 48.' [On the shaft 48 is a crank disc 148 .(see Figure 1) to which'is centrally ivoted a'pawl 248 meshing with a ratchet w eel 49 on the shaft 114 of one of the sprocket pulleys'14 so that i said spptjcket pulley and chain will. be

fed bye sjtep-by-step movement due to pawl 24s and ratchet. 49. On the shaft 46 are crank discs 50 to which are eccentrically pivoted connecting rods 51 extending upwardly to members 52 on a cross-rod 53 assing through blocks 54 on crossbar '32, 'sai bar 53 being fastened by set screws 55 '{or the like.

The operation of connecting rods 51 serves to give up and down movements .to cross head 32 on vertical guide posts 56 connected by top member 57. Depending from the ends of crossbar 32 are guides 58; having slots 59 (see Figure 3) the upperends of the guides 58 being secured to crossbar's 32 b screws 232. Springs 62 are-secured at" the r up r ends to'the respective outer ends of cross ar 31 by screw bolts or by equivalent means.

The lower ends of the' springs are made fast to the table element 11 12,,as' by bolts 63. Passing through the slots 59 1arescrew bolts 233 screwing into the ends of "crossbar-'31, said bolts having roller sleeves231j thereon, lyingin slots 59.

An endless chain 64 driven from the shaft 48 asses about a sprocket pinion 65 on a sha 66, carrying the elements 36 (see Figures 1 to 4) for turning said elements 36 so fork by diverging stripper fingers 71 between which said fork moves in turning about the aziis of the shaft 68.

Whilethe device described is practical without washing or brushing .of the chain "to clean same of adhering fruits parts, it is desirable in some cases to do so. In the' illustrated exam le upper and lower revolving cylindrical rushes 72 and 73 are employed,'between which the chain 74 runs, the

lower roller 7 3 being immersed in water in a tank 74. Said rollers 72 and 7 3are both positively driveuby a chain 75. over running sprockets 172 and 173 on the shafts 272 and 2 3 of said brushes.

- In using the machine, dates, for example, are placed in the on s 16 in advance of the .pitting means; As t e chain carries the date eneath. presser roller 26 it is forced firmly into the; cupand" then passes beneath the plate 21. The operation of the pit centering and pit removing means is suchthat as the date comes under said plate 21 the turning of.

shaft 46 draws the connecting rods 65 down wardly and thereby moves crossbar 32 downwardly. The downward movement of th'e liafr 32 carries downward also the guides 58 (see Figures 3and 4). As guides 58 move down' wardly the springs 62 draw crossbar 31 downwardly until the pins 33 passing at each side of the'pit a in the date A, strike the ledges 216 and center the pit atthe opening '116 of cup '16 and in linewith hole 20 in table 12. The continued downward movement of connecting rods 51 "finally causes the pitting spindles 35 to movedownwardly and thereby causes'the pit to be forced out of the date andthrough the opening 116 and. hole into theplane of the slot 136 of pit stripping elements 36. The pit is prevented from rising with the e] ector spindles 35 by said elements 36 and caused to move away from the plane of the pitting spindles by the arm 37. Upon the upward movement of the connecting rods 51 the. reverse operation takes place, since'thereby the crossbars .31 and 32 will raised. 7

- Referring again to the forked pins '33, the members thereof take a position at each side of the pit and are then in a' position to resist any'lateral displacement of the pit to a position out of register with the opening 116 of cup 16 and out of line with the hole 20 in table 12. At the same time,'said pins 33 perform the function of preventing fruit from beingdisplaced when the pitting spindles 35 are functioning.

Cushioning sprlngs 7 7 may be provided beneath crossbar 31. As the pitted date passes beyond the plate 21 and arrives beneath the impaling fork 67 the fruit 'will be impaled by said fork and in the revolving of the latter (see Figure 10) the date A will be stripped from the fork by the strippers 71.

I would state furthermore that While the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself strictly to the exact details herein illustrated, since, manifestly, the same can be considerably varied without departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

' 1. A fruit pitting machine including con-- the plane of the tracks.

machine, a track over which said. conveyor means travels, a pit centering means mounted to reciprocatetoward and from the path of 7 travel of the conveyor means, means to force the pit from the 'fruit and means to position the centering means adjacent-the pit and subsequently cause the pit-forcing meansto be actuated.

2. A fruit pitting machine including con- 10 veyonm'eans. to carry the fruit through the machine, a track over which said conveyor means travels, a pit centering means mounted to reciprocate toward and from the path of travel of the conveyor means, means to force the pit from the fruit and means to position the centering means adj acent the pit and subsequently cause the pit-forcing'means to be actuated, together with a knife disposed below the track and extending into thepath of the conveyor means for slitting the fruit, said knife being in advance of the pit centering and forcing means. 4

3. In a\fruit pitting machine, an endless chain made up of a connected series of; fruit receiving cups each having-an opening in'the bottom for the escape of pits and having shoulders to retain the fruit as the pit is removed, pit centering means, means to .recipro'-. c-ate said pit centering means toward and from the path of travel of saidchain on its working run, pit removing means andmeans to actuate the said pit removing means following the'engagement of said pitcenter'ing means with the pit.

series of fruit receiving cups, pit removing means disposed along the path of travel of said series of cups, a fruit impaling device mounted to revolve and positioned for inI- 4o paling the fruit after the pit has been removed, and fruit stripping means positioned to engage animpaled fruit and detachthe same from the impaling device. I i

5. In a fruit pitting machine, upper'and lower c rossbars, a track beneath the lower crossbar, a conveyor to carry fruit along said track, pit centering means on the lower crossbar, pit removing means on the uppercross bar andmeansto cause movement of said crossbar-s toward and from the path of movement of the said conveyor means'and to cause A the lower crossbar with the centering means to move in advance of the pit removing means.

6. In afruit pitting machine, upper and lower 'crossbars, a track beneath thelower crossbar, a conveyor to carry fruit along said track, plt centering means on the lower cross I bar, .pit removing means'on the upper cross bar, means to actuate the upper crossbar,

c0 guides on said upper crossbar through which members on the lower crossbar pass and springs to draw down and cause the lower crossbar to move toward the track following" the movement of the upper crossbar toward veyor,

the fruit, movable pins g 1 v a knife for longitu'dinallyslittm'g the fruit 4. In a fruit pitting machine, an endless in'the"fru1t,a v 'the fruit and an e ector for extract ng'the 7. In a machine of the character described a traveling member, a pluralitv of individual fruit-holdmg receptacles carried by said traveling member, a reciprocating pitting memher and reciprocating'pit controlling members movable to and from a position'adj acent the pit of the fruit carried-by said traveling member and 'at opposite sides of the path of reciprocation of said pitting member, said reciprocating members being. convergent at their terminals to prevent engagement there? of with the fruit-holding receptacles.

8. In a machine of the character described, a. traveling member, a plurality. of individual -fruit-holding receptacles carried by said trav eling member and formed with openin s in .the bottom, a knife disposed below an ad jacent to the path of'travel of said traveling -member and adapted to form a cut in the fruit in one of said receptacles arrivingat the knife and means above the path of travel of said traveling member positioned in the vertical plane of the knife and adapted to resist the upward pressure of the kni the fruit.

9. In a fruit pitting machine, a fr'uit conmovable membersffor positioning the pit therebetween,

.ing the pit through said slit.

and an ejector for extractmgthe pit through. 'said' slit. i

veyor having pockets for securelyholding thefruit, movable pins for centering the pit with-.

' knife for longitudinally slitting through said slit. 1 I 12. In a fr it pitting machine, a' fruit conveyor ha.vin%7i "-mo'tion, mova e members for positioning the it in the path of travel of an ejector, a knife e in cutting .an intermittent-or step-'by-step I "a knife for longitudinally I slitting the fruit and an ejector for extract- 10-. In a fruit pitting machine; a truitcon- {veyor having pockets for th'elreception of I for centering the p t,

' 11. Ina fruit pitting machine, a fruit con- I for longitudinally slitting the fruit when in motion and'an ejectorior extracting the pit 13. In a fruit pitting machine, a fruit'conveyor having an intermittent motion, movable members for centering the pit within the fruit, means for longitudinally slitting the fruit when in motion, and means for extractthrough said slit when thefruit is momen I ,ta'rily at rest.

ing the pit through the said slit when the fruit is momentarily at rest.

14:. In a fruit pitting machine, means for holding'the fruit, means for positioning the pit within the fruitin the path of travel of an ejector, a/knife for longitudinally slitting the fruit and an ejector for extracting the pit f through said slit. I p

' ANTHONY -GOTELLLJ. 

